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More Horror Exclusive: Interview with Tough man Keith David

Interviewed by Michael Juvinall, More Horror.com

Silver screen tough man Keith David and his deep, booming voice command respect in almost every role he plays. Keith plays many heavies onscreen, but in person he is very inviting, friendly, and gracious to his fans, a real pussycat. Many people don’t know that he is also a great singer and has a club act in 2013.

He has been in over 100 films dating back to 1979 including Platoon (1986), Dead Presidents (1995), Armageddon (1998), and Disney’s The Princess and the Frog (2009) just to name a few. He also has an impressive television resume, and I believe has found his true calling with voice roles that he is known for including the Spawn (1997) animated series and was the voice of “Goliath” in The Gargoyles animated series, and many, many more. In one of Keith’s latest offerings, he plays multiple roles in the newly released blockbuster, Cloud Atlas (2012).

Horror fans will no doubt remember Keith for his roles in two of director John Carpenter’s better loved films, John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) as “Childs”, and They Live as “Frank”. For me, those two films cemented my appreciation for him and I have followed his career ever since. It was with great pleasure that I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Mr. David while at the Days of the Dead horror convention in Chicago a few weeks ago. Read on for the conversation I had with Keith David.

Michael Juvinall: What was it like working with John Carpenter on The Thing and They Live, what kind of an environment was it on set?

Keith David: I loved working for John Carpenter; it was always a great working environment. As far as I could tell, most of the guys he worked with, he'd worked with before and they had a rapport going. It was usually 12 hour days, they were very efficient days, and I love the way John works.

MJ: Are you surprised those films, The Thing and They Live are as popular still as they are today?

KD: No, not at all, they were well made films. The themes of which are still relevant today, in fact They Live is more relevant today than when it was made.

MJ: Do you like horror movies? Do you watch horror movies?

KD: Oh yeah. I'm really a big fan of the older, noirish movies. I like a good scary movie.

MJ: Do you enjoy coming to the conventions to meet fans?

KD: I love coming to conventions. The fans are usually really gracious people, they're very nice. I love the fact that we can exchange something, some real kind of giving back in a way.

MJ: I think that horror fans are more loyal than any other fans. What do you think has been the highlight of your career so far?

KD: I don't know, The Princess and the Frog maybe.

MJ: You've done a lot of TV also, do you like working in TV?

KD: I like working! (Laughing)

MJ: Do you have a particular favorite of yours that you've done?

KD: I had a wonderful time playing "Max"; he was one of my favorite characters. Spawn and Goliath are two of my all-time favorite characters.

MJ: What are your passions outside of acting?

KD: I like riding horses. I'm a singer and I love singing and performing. Those are my two main passions.